


Dupont District: Blue Empire

by BrokenWingedTenshi



Series: Kingdom Come [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Badass Nathaniel Kurtzberg, F/F, F/M, M/M, Nathaniel Kurtzberg Knows, Protective Nathaniel Kurtzberg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:35:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29918397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenWingedTenshi/pseuds/BrokenWingedTenshi
Summary: With the departure of his childhood friends from Paris, and the swift downward spiral it sends his classmates into with Lila Rossi, Nathaniel has decided to go back to a simpler time. When he, Marinette and Chloé were the ones calling the shots.But to truly become the Blue King of Spades again he'll have to relearn the things he's forgotten. He'll have to remember the greatest promise he's ever made. And remember the things he would risk to keep it.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Nino Lahiffe, Juleka Couffaine/Alix Kubdel, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg
Series: Kingdom Come [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2199261
Comments: 8
Kudos: 12





	1. Downward We Go

Nathaniel knew his class were far from the smartest. Of course he knew. It was something the students outside the class discussed at length. In any case, it wasn't really his business. Not anymore. There was a time when it would've been, but it was long gone. Just like any inclination to really speak to most of his classmates.

So in short, yes. He'd known he was surrounded by idiots. But what else was new? He was just here to graduate. At least, until this crap came up. He'd known it was only a matter of time before Lila came at him with his best friends out of the picture, but he'd thought she'd go for Adrien and Nino first. After all, she wanted Adrien. That much was obvious.

But sadly, she had chosen his space to invade with her obnoxious presence. Not that he really cared, he just wished she would shut up. She really hadn't wasted any time. Rolling his eyes, he sat up and looked her in the eyes. He knew his expression was bordering on something from the old days, but at this point it was worth it just to make her go away.

"I have no time for this today Lila, my pages are due in at the end of the week. I could use some quiet to work, so I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me alone."

There, even though he probably resembled the him from years ago he had resisted the urge to put her in her place harshly. He was perfectly polite. Of course, Lila immediately turned on the waterworks. And his class, like the mindless sheep they were, flocked to her immediately. This he really didn't have time for. Standing up, he reached for his comic pages. Except, a hand snatched them off the table before him.

Staring him in the eyes was Kim, who kept their eyes locked as he ripped the pages. Around them, silence reigned. Even Lila's obnoxious fake crying had stopped. He leaned forward a bit, holding a hand over his eyes as his shoulders shook. His classmates remained quiet, somber, and soon, he knew they could hear his laughter. When he stood up straight, pushing his bangs back from his eyes to show the mad glinting of Emerald irises, he let them take in the reality of what they'd done.

"Ya know . . . We always thought you could live without us. Go on about your lives normally, and maybe things would turn out okay and we'd never have to go back to the way things used to be. But I guess you numbskulls missed us more than we thought you would!"

His laughter was almost crazed, and when he finally calmed, that mad grin from the days of his far off past was present. It had been three years since they'd seen him like this, expression something between out of his mind and pitying for the situation they currently found themselves in.

"So here's what's going to happen. I'm going to give you what you wanted, the Court of Whispers will be reformed stronger than it's ever been! And when the girls come back from their trips, you simple minded fools will face the deck in its entirety!"

He had always been the one closest to cracking. It was why he'd been the quiet one. Less reasons to mess with him. Less reasons for him to come back to the way he had always been, just beneath the surface of monosyllabic answers and art just this side of tame. 

Standing at his full height, and only a little shorter than Kim, he picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, snatching his torn pages from Kim's hands and heading for the door. He looked back but once, standing at the door.

"Hail the fucking king, barbarians."

And by the time he walked out of the building, everyone knew. The Blue Court was making a comeback.

~~~~~

Contrary to popular belief, even the once rulers of the school had feelings. Not that they ever really let anyone outside their most trusted friends see them. So when he got home and surveyed his ruined comic pages, there were tears. He was still crying when he called Marc, who was prepared to go and beat Kim into the ground.

The image of his tiny boyfriend with one combat boot planted on the head of an unconscious Kim made him crack a smile, and he gave a water chuckle.

"I'm really sorry Marc- I know we're really close to the deadline. I'll do my best to put the pages together and draw them again. We _**will**_ make this deadline."

Over the phone, he heard his boyfriend sigh at him.

"Just do your best mon amour, you know that's all I could ask of you. We can always push the deadline back. What I want to know is if you're okay."

For a moment, there was silence. And then, a darkly amused chuckle.

"I'm great. It's been three years since I've felt this free. And honestly, they have everything I'm about to do coming."

Marc just hummed thoughtfully.

"Are we wearing blue tomorrow?"

Nathaniel just smiled. Perceptive. Marc always had been.

"That we are mon ange. That we are."

Another pause for Marc to collect his thoughts.

" . . . The girls are coming to come back as Hearts and Diamonds, aren't they?"

"Honestly? I don't know. But even if they don't, I'm hoping seeing what I've had to do in their absence will be enough to bring them back to me. It's about time we reminded everyone just why we were at the top to begin with."

"Alright. I'll see you in the morning, my darling Majesty."

Majesty . . . He liked the way the sounded. Especially from Marc.

"I'll see you tomorrow- I'm going to pick you up. Best we arrive together. I'll text the rest of the court to dress accordingly."

And dress accordingly they did. When Marc and Nathaniel pulled up to school the next morning, Marc have swapped out his rainbow top and red hoodie for a black t-shirt and a cobalt Blue blazer, Nathaniel at his side with one cobalt leather clad arm over his shoulders, the ladies of the Court of Whispers had assembled at the gate. Aurore Boreal in a dark blue skirt and pumps, black button up and cobalt umbrella at her side, Kagami Tsurugi with her black top, blue jeans and blazer and her black combat boots, sword strapped to her side, Alix Kubdel with her black t-shirt, spray painted with a cobalt blue crown (the same one on the black skates she wore), black jeans and blue hoodie, and Juleka Couffaine with a cobalt blue dress and black tights, black jacket and blue sneakers. Nathaniel himself had dressed in black skinny jeans and thermal, cobalt leather jacket and boots, silver chains hanging from the pockets of his jeans and black fingerless gloves covering his hands.

It was simpler than it should've been, and made him feel better than it should have, to don this look again. Like nothing had changed at all. He knew it had, but the fact that he could pretend was enough for now. And when he swaggered in with his court at his back, people parted for him to pass. He stopped in the middle of the staircase, turning to face everyone. One hand held in Marc's, fingers twined together casually.

"I know most of you know who I am, so let's just cut to the chase, shall we? You know me. You know my people. We are the Blue Court, the suit of Spades, the Court of Whispers. We know each and every one of you, inside and out. Your dirty little secrets are what help me sleep at night, because they mean I'm not a shit person for having some of my own. You know I will not come after you without cause, and that if you do not antagonize me, I will not retaliate."

His classmates were shoving through the crowd, and he arched an amused brow. He had always been the more benevolent of the three rulers, and everyone knew it. But he would not tolerate them.

"That being said, my classmates in particular are in hot water. After antagonizing my dear friend Marinette, she's been sent away for six weeks. Chloé followed suit and took a leave of absence for those six weeks. They'll return at the end of that period, and we will decide at that point whether to reunite the deck. For now, consider this blue territory. I find you in orange, you'll be on my shit list. And none of you wanna be there, I guarantee."

The chill that ran through the crowd at the very idea probably shouldn't have made him as happy as it did.

"For now, you're dismissed."

With a simple snap of his fingers, the students dispersed to find their way to class. Even the teachers who had been leaning over the rails to hear his declaration ducked back into their classrooms. For his part, Nate turned on his heel and walked the rest of the way up the stairs, hand still firmly entwined with Marc's, who had begun to lose feeling with how hard his boyfriend had been squeezing in his nervousness. But that was alright. He'd gotten through it, and people knew what to expect. That was what really mattered.

Dropping Marc, Aurore and Kagami off at Mme. Mendeleiev's class first, he proceeded back to his own classroom with Juleka and Alix flanking him. People jumped out of their way, and he chuckled lightly. It was good to be king.


	2. Chapter 2

The best part about his court, Nathaniel thought, were the unique skillsets each of them brought to the table. Aurore was a budding reporter, the best he'd ever had the pleasure of meeting. She was good at getting the proof she needed to be able to expose the truth. Or to keep that truth as a bargaining chip. Everyone already thought she knew everything, so they never really hesitated to speak around her. She was a people person, and good at getting what she wanted. It was almost too easy, and Nathaniel loved watching the chaos she created. Kagami and Marc were both extremely skilled in combat, and easily disappeared into the background. Most people just flat out ignored their presence, and that was something that Nathaniel had always found intriguing. Even though they were fierce, powerful and proud, they disappeared into the background, unsuspected and unseen. The same could be said for Alix, who was extremely well organized and very intelligent, keeping the up to date information on each of the students that everyone gathered together and protected. Hidden away from prying eyes but easily accessible for them. She was a godsend, keeping them five steps ahead of anyone who may want to try and challenge any one of them. She was their Jarvis, and they loved her for it. Juleka was always ignored as well, and no one really paid much mind even if they did see her. They didn't dare mess with her, she was protected by not only friends that would defend her, but her older brother who had a reputation for being a delinquent, and now Nathaniel's reputation as King of Spades. She was the ultimate spy, and she was untouchable. No one was fool enough to think they could take on the Court of Whispers and win, let alone Luka's explosive temper when it came to his twin sister.

As much as he would have liked to recruit Luka, he knew that should the girls come back as the ones he had known in their formative years, he was already spoken for. Their Queen of Hearts would want him for herself. She had been the first of the three of them to really befriend Luka. And she would always have his loyalty. Nathaniel knew if he had to choose, the choice would always be Marinette. So he would hold off on the idea of recruiting him to see just how far Marinette and Chloe had been pushed. Then he'd make his decision. For now though, Luka could often be found with the Blue Court. And thusly, so could Nino and Adrien. He knew it would grind Lila's gears, and he was enjoying watching grind her teeth watching him get special treatment and the friends she thought should be part of her pathetic posse. Not that he would've ever let that happen, even if he hadn't formerly been the King of Spades.

It was stupidly easy to get Lila alone. She thought she had cornered him in the locker room, and he leaned against his with an amused tilt upward to his lips. What a fool, the perfect entertainment for a king. She stalked towards him, seeming to thing she was intimidating. He resisted the urge to laugh at her, but just barely. Arching a brow when she stood before him, she cocked one hip and set her hand on it.

"Make me your Queen."

An unexpected demand, but he barely reacted at all. One perfectly plucked brow arched on mischievously sparkling green.

"And why, pray tell, would I do that?"

Lila bristled, clearly not used to being challenged. No matter, there was nothing she could ever have on him that would make him cave. Let alone be seen as someone connected to her publicly. He'd sooner gouge out his own eyes, and he very much liked his eyes.

"Because the class are the only ones left not under your control. Make me your queen, and I'll make them bend."

She clenched a fist in the air between them to illustrate her point, and he scoffed. He was vaguely offended she thought him this stupid, but that would be quickly remedied.

"And in return you would try to expand your reach outside the class and sway everyone else to your cause. I don't think so. It's a stupid proposition, and I wouldn't accept it even if I did find you the least bit attractive. I suggest you take a long, hard look at what you've found yourself with so far, greedy wench. Because you're going to lose it all. I'm going to bring your pathetic house of cards tumbling down."

Lila bristled, baring her teeth.

"Are you threatening me?"

He chuckle lightly, the slightly mad glint returning to his eyes. Her flinch made him lick his lips, and he stood up properly, leaning forward so his mouth was right beside her ear.

"I don't make threats darling. I make promises. You've got until my compatriots come back from their trips to come clean. Or I ruin you. With or without the rest of the deck. If you disobey, your social life is forfeit. Till then, I'll be making things a bit more difficult for you. Just to make the game more interesting.

Shouldering past her, he held up a hand in a flippant wave as he headed for the doors.

"Goodbye now Clover. I'll be seeing you around."

~~~~~

Lila didn't know how to react. But she did know one thing. That arrogant charlatan was going down! She just had to figure out how. Starting with his wretched little court. She refused to be outdone by some nobody! She was Lila Esmerelda Rossi, for fuck's sake! Daughter of important diplomats, darling of any public who had the pleasure of listening to her honey-dipped words. Queen bee of every school she'd ever attended! Hoe dare he turn her down! Didn't he know how lucky he was that she had even deigned to offer him this opportunity?

Slamming her fist into a locker, she seethed for a moment. Shaking her head, Lila stood up and opened her locker. Alright then, fine. If she couldn't join the court, she would destroy it. Starting now, it was war. What was it he'd called her? Clover? Well, if she couldn't rule by his side as his Spade Empress, then he would bend the knee to a clover queen. 

~~~~~

Lunch was going well. The Court of Whispers had claimed a table right in the middle of the cafeteria and were talking and laughing easily. Nathaniel sat and watched with a self assured smile, Marc laying on his shoulder with a contented grin of his own. This was nice. Peaceful. He knew Lila was going to try something though, and that was fine. Alix stood up and skated off to the bathroom with Juleka, just before their class came flooding in and straight for their table. Sighing softly, Nathaniel stood and allowed Aurore to turn his and Marc's chairs around so they could sit facing the imbeciles coming their way. Nathaniel elected to sit up on the table, feet propped on the chair in front of him. Marc sat in his chair and laid in Nathaniel's lap with sharp eyes watching his class come forward and stop a few feet away. Kim appeared to be the elected spokesperson.

"You crossed the line Nathaniel!"

The redhead simply arched a brow, vaguely amused by the bravado when he could see the larger boy's hands shaking. 

"And what exactly have I done that has crossed your imaginary, arbitrary line?"

Kim moved to the side and gestured to Lila, who had a couple of bruises on her face and arms, jacket ripped and cheap mascara running. Rolling his eyes, he listened to Kim drone on for a few minutes, doubtful gazes and questioning whispers assaulting his ears the more the jock flapped his jaws, before holding up a hand. Satisfaction washed over him when silence reigned, his hand falling back to his lap where he threaded his fingers through his boyfriend's hair, though the smaller boy kept his eyes trained on the imbeciles who had decided to ruin a perfectly nice lunch.

"Firstly, I've been here all lunch period, and before this I was in the art room. I didn't have the time to assault your precious pied piper. Secondly, that's not how I operate. I don't lower myself to physical fighting. That's what my knights are here for. Thirdly, and I'd like you to listen to this very carefully . . . I don't give enough of a shit to worry about Lila. And just as an FYI, if I wanted to hit her, I would've punched her in her lying mouth first. Since she's not missing any teeth, we can safely deduce that it wasn't me."

And he doubted those bruises were real anyways. His point was proved when, about seven seconds after he'd finished talking, Alix skated into Lila with a cup of water, accidentally on purpose spilling it all over the girl and making the makeup that formed her bruises run and drip off. He chuckled softly as Alix and Juleka returned to their seats after a lackluster faux apology from Alix.

"And now we get to the bottom of things. Nobody assaulted this peon, she just did her makeup so it looked like someone did. And since we've uncovered that, I think it's time you leave my sight Le Chien Kim, and take your worthless pack of groveling mutts with you. People who waste my time tend to disappear."

He watched the color drain from the athlete's face as he rounded everyone up and left, corralling Lila along with the others. everyone saw the scathing look she sent him, not that he cared. He simply stood again and allowed his chair and Marc's to be righted before they sat again and faced the amused faces of their friends. Ah yes, this was the life. He quite liked the way things were going. He doubted this would be the last time Lila tried something, but at least it had been suitably entertaining for the mental role of Fool he'd branded her as. 

Marc returned to laying on his shoulder, and Nathaniel wrapped a leather clad arm around him, leaning back comfortably. It wasn't surprising that things went back to how they'd been before the interruption almost instantaneously. After all, none of his court really cared about Lila. So her interruption of their meal was at best inconsequential, and at worst a minor annoyance. But at least people still remembered his Modus Operandi, and that it wasn't physical violence. People still remembered the Blue King, and it almost made him smile. He was earning back his rep, and it had already begun. Perhaps he even owed Lila Rossi a thank you for speeding up the process. Not that he'd ever lower himself to her level to tell her that. Royalty didn't interact with ungrateful peasants.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Welcome to the second installment of Kingdom Come! I've decided I'm going to bring together some of my favorite tropes in a four book series.  
> The first three books will be about fifteen chapters apiece and will span a six week period from three different points of view. And in the fourth book, we bring it all together!  
> I'll be trying to catch up to Arkham: Red Kingdom before updating it again and then I'll be attempting to get a new chapter of each story posted around the same time each upload. Then I'll get started on the fourth book, titled 'Paris: City of Aces'  
> Buckle up! Let's go!


End file.
